Goddess and the Girl Next Door

They said men wanted to go to bed with Marilyn Monroe, but marry Doris Day. As stars of the big screen, two women who were at times so strikingly similar were worlds apart in their onscreen personas. One was a Hollywood goddess and the other known as the girl next door.

When Monroe died of an overdose in August 1962 her final film, Something’s Got to Give, was in shambles. She’d been fired from the production only weeks earlier, but had negotiated a return to help salvage 20 Century Fox, the studio that turned her into a superstar and profited handsomely at her expense.

With Monroe gone, Fox turned to an unlikely star to pick up where she left off - Doris Day. Day, a squeaky clean girl next door, was a far cry from the sexy Goddess Monroe had created, but Fox knew Day had the chops and the fans to pull it off.

Here is the story of the final days of Marilyn Monroe and how the making of "Something’s Got to Give" would transition to Doris Day for the filming and release of her 1963 comedy "Move Over, Darling." Based off a common script, the concept would have two leading ladies and a fascinating story for the Hollywood ages.